Igniter device



Sept. 11, 1945.

P. 1.. BUC Y IGNITER DEVICE Filed Sept. 20, 1943 Ww Z 3L L R M PatentedSept. 11, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,384,438 r v IGNITER DEVICEPerl Lewis Buoy, Oklahoma City, Okla. Application September 20, 1943,SerialNo. 503,109

Claims. (Cl. 123-469) This invention relates generally to the class ofignition devices and pertains particularly to an improved igniterdesigned for use in connection with internal combustion engines.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved igniterhaving associated therewith means for introducing oxygen into the areawithin the igniter where the igniting spark is formed, whereby toproduce a hotter flame and effect the complete oxidation of the fuel andthe elimination of carbon deposits from the sparking or igniting chamberand the engine cylinder.

Another object of the invention is to provide an internal combustionengine sparking device of novel construction which is so designed thatupon ignition of the charge the burning gases will be forced into theengine cylinder in the form of a flame jet so that the flame will beevenly distributed over the interior of the piston cylinder to effect asmooth even and complete combustion of the fuel.

Another object of the invention is to provide an igniter which is formedin such manner as to provide a relatively heavy or thick body of metalaround the sparking chamber, which after being heated by the initialexplosion of the fuel mixture, holds its heat so as to raise thetemperature of the introduced oxygen and thereby bring about the moreready ignition of subsequent fuel charges.

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of thefollowing detailed description taken in' connection with theaccompanying drawing, it being understood, however, that minor changesmay be made in the details of construction. so long as such changes donot depart from the spirit of the invention as expressed in the appendedclaims.

In the drawing- Figure 1 is a, view partly in elevation and partly insection of the device embodying the present invention.

Figure 2 is a vertical section through the device.

Figure 3 is a detail perspective, partly in section, of the cylindricalbody.

Figure 4 is a detail section of the check valve.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing it will be seen that thedevice of the present invention comprises a ball or spherical bodylllwhich is divided into the two portions l l and I2.

In the center of this spherical body there is formed a cylindricalchamber I3 which extends perpendicular to the opposed flat faces of thetwo halves of the body and which has one half in each of the bodyhalves. In other words each portion has formed therein and openingthrough the flat face thereof a circular chamber which when arrangedcoaxially with the chamber of the adjacent portion forms the completecylindrical chamber l3.

Within the cylindrical chamber l3 there is fitted a cylindrical body Mwhich has interposed be.-'

tween it and the wall of the chamber, a layer of asbestos l5.

Extending into each end of the cylindrical body l4 through a portion ofthe length of the body,

is a threaded bore I6 and each of these bores at its inner end istapered off to form a cone-shaped extension l1. The reduced inner endsof the bore extensions I! are connected by the short longitudinallyextending port or passage 18.

. Each, portion of the spherical body H] .has a threaded radial bore [9which extends from the The mounting stem 20 is-in the form of a nipplewhich is threaded upon each end and whichhas the nutportion 22intermediate its end to facilitate its application to the body and tothe head of an engine. One of the threaded ends of this stem 20 isinserted into a threaded bore! and intothe adjacent threaded bore it ofthe body M in the manner shown and a suitable shoulder 23 is provided atthe inner end of the threaded portion of the stem, to bear against'thewall of the body I0 so as to draw the adjacent end of the cylinder l4firmly into position in the cham bar [3.

'I'heother end of the stem 20 is adapted for insertion into the usualspark-plug opening of a motor vehicle or other internal combustionengine cylinder head. I The stem 20 has an axial passage or bore"24,formed therethrough. This bore or passage is of tapered diameter fromone end to the other. The opposing conical portions I! of the bores lfiare of different lengths and the body l4 may be turned as desired so as'to direct either of the bores l6 toward theengine combustion chamberand also the mounting stem 20 may have either of its ends engaged in abore I6 so as to direct the wide or the narrow end of the bore into theengine cylinder. These different operating positions for the cylinder l4and for the stem 20 are used for different operating conditions.

The electrode stem 2| has a threaded end adapted to extend through abore l9 and into and have threaded connection in a bore I6, and thisstem 2| is provided with a suitable shoulder 25 for engagement with thewall of the body In so as to draw the adjacent half or portion of thebody l and the cylindrical body I4 tightly together. Thus by meansof-these stems 20 and 2| it will be seen that the two halves of thespherical body H! are held tightly in assembled relation.

An asbestos gasket 26 is interposed between the two halves of the body|0 whereby, in association with the gasket or lining l5, compressionleakage is avoided.

Extending axially through the stem 2| ably insulated therefrom, is theelectrode 21 which extends at its inner end beyond the inner end of the,stem 2| in which it is mounted. The inner end of the electrode 21terminates in laterally directed points 28 and the length of theelectrode is such as to bring thesepoints into the adjacent conicalportion ll of the bore in which the inner end of the electrode issecured, and into spaced relation with the wall of such conical portionso that a spark will be formed between each of points 28 and theadjacent bore wall.

The outer end of the electrode is suitably formed for the convenientattachment of a current conductor thereto.

, One of the two sections of the body ID has formed therethrough alateral passage 29 which opens into the chamber I3. Joining or connectedwith this passage 29 is a lateral passage 30 formed in the cylindricalbody I4, which passage 30 opens through the outer side of the body andalso opens into the upper or shorter conical portion of the upper borel6.

In the use of this sparking or firing head device there is provided asuitable receptacle 3| containing oxygen under pressur and from thisreceptacle a suitable conduit or tube 32 carries the oxygen to thepassage 29, in which the other end of the conduit is connected as shown.

Within the passage 29 is a check valve 33 which opens toward the firingchamber which constitutes the aligned bores IS in the cylindrical body4. By this means oxygen may be admitted into the firing chamber when thepressure therein is lower than the pressure within the oxygen container3| but when the pressure within the firing chamber exceeds that in thecontainer 3| the valve 33 will prevent such back pressure entering theoxygen container.

As previously stated the mounting stem is designed to be connected withthe firing chamber in the cylindrical body l4 to have either the wide orthe narrow end of the bore 24 opening into the firing chamber. When theuse of gasoline in the engine fuel system is necessary the mounting stemwill be connected with the body H as illustrated, that is, with thenarrow end of the bore 24 opening into the firing chamber. When anyother form of fuel oil is to be used the mounting stem is reversed sothat the larger end of the bore 24 opens into the firing or ignitionchamber and the smaller end opens into the motor cylinder.

In the use of this device the motor fuel is drawn into the cylinder inthe usual manner but there is at the same time introduced into thecylinder and into the double conical firing chamber which constitutesthe two conical inner portions of the bores It, a portion of oxygen fromth receptacle 3|. As previously stated this oxygen flows into and suit-:

the firing chamber when the pressure therein is below that in thecontainer or receptacle for the oxygen. However when the engine pistonis moving upwardly on its compression strokes the pressure within thefiring chamber will be raised'above that in the oxygen cylinder and thecheck valve will close thus preventing any of the fuel being forced backinto the oxygen cylinder.

When the device is fired aportion of the fuel charge mixed with oxygenwill be ignited in the double conical or hour-glass firing chamber andthis will be discharged as a jet from this remainder of the fuel will beignited. Due to the jetting of the ignited fuel under high pressure intothe engine cylinder the flame will be distributed through the cylinderand the fuel charge therein will be smoothly and progressively ignitedin the manner most desirable for obtaining the'maximum amount of powerfrom the fuel. At the same time, due to the introduction of additionaloxygen the fuel mixture will be completely consumed and there will be nocarbon residue either in the firing chamberof the ignition device or inthe engine cylinder.

Iclaim:

1. An ignition device comprising a body having an hour-glass shapedignition chamber, an electrode extending into the upper end of suchchamber and having spaced relation with the wall of the latter,amounting stem connected with the lower end of said chamber and having abore extending longitudinally therethrough and opening into the chamber,and a conduit means for introducing a combustion supporting gas into theignition chamber.

2. An igniter device as set forth in claim 1, in which said conduitmeans enters the ignition chamber in the narrowest part thereof.

3. An igniter device comprising a body having a cylindrical chambertherein, said body being divided into'two portions 'on a plane passingtransversely through the" cylindrical'chamber, a cylinder body withinthe cylindrical chamber havingrthreaded bores in the ends thereof, thebores being coimectedby a double cone-shaped ignition chamber, each ofthe said halves of said body having a bore extending, into the adjacentend of the cylindrical chamber, a shouldered mounting stem extendingthrough one bore-and having one end extended through one of the'lastmentioned bores and having threaded engage-' means for introducingoxygen into said ignition chamber,

4. An igniter device as set forth in claim 3 in which said oxygenadmitting means comprises a passage leading through the first body andthrough the cylinder body into the central part of the ignition chamber;and an inwardlyopen ing check valve in said passage. I i

5. An igniter device as set forth in claim 3, in which the passagethrough said mounting stem is tapered throughout and the mounting stemis adapted to have either of its ends connected in bore leading into theignition chamber.

- c PERL LEWIS BUCY;

